The 2012 Silverstone Classic will take place over the weekend of the 20th to the 22nd of July at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Head to the official website for more information and read on for the official word from the Silverstone Classic.

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The 2012 Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July) will host two rounds of the Jaguar E-type Challenge, it was confirmed today (Monday 12 March). The news completes a massive 24-race programme featuring the world’s largest collection of classic racing machinery. Once again the full line-up will total in excess of 1000 entries spanning more than eight decades of motor sport history and includes the finest Formula One, GT, saloon and Le Mans cars from past generations.

Created last year to salute the 50th birthday of Britain’s favourite sportscar, the unique Jaguar E-type Challenge – run exclusively for packed grids of E-types – was one of the star attractions at the 2011 Silverstone Classic… an event chosen by Jaguar clubs from around the world to mark the iconic Coventry Cat’s golden anniversary.

“With grids of more than 50 competition-prepared E-types, the two Jaguar races were among last summer’s highlights – that’s why we are so delighted to welcome back the Jaguar E-type Challenge to the Silverstone Classic in July,” enthused Nick Wigley, Event Organiser. “We will be staging two rounds of the series with races on both Saturday and Sunday, thus providing fans with a double dose of high quality and truly evocative action. The fast nature of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit certainly suits the E-type and I’m sure all those who enjoyed last year’s races will be thrilled by the promise of a repeat while those who missed last year’s Classic will have another chance to see what all the excitement was about.”

Just five circuits will be hosting the Jaguar E-type Challenge in 2012 with races in France and Germany in addition to those in the UK. As last year, the Silverstone Classic with its licence to start up to 58 cars is likely to witness the biggest grid of the season.

A Guinness World Record-breaking track parade of 767 racing and road going E-types was another of last year’s celebrations. Emulating that memorable achievement, this July’s three-day festival will honour a host of equally evocative anniversaries. These include 50th birthday homages for the AC Cobra, Lotus Elan, MGB and Triumph Spitfire plus the UK’s first BMW Z-Fest to mark 60 years of the BMW Car Club GB. Another highlight will be the largest ever gathering of Ferrari F40s (an unprecedented 54 are registered to date) as the much-admired Italian supercar reaches its 25th birthday.